Police commander Abshir warned the police would only obey a democratically elected government.

Evidence

Among other things, Mohamed Abshir said that the duty of the police is to be faithful to the government that the people have elected freely and democratically. Who knows if his statement was meant as a warning—that is, the police would obey only such a government and not one that attains power without being democratically elected, as certain people would not be averse to maintaining power against the will of the people. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 1306

Categorization

• XREF: Abshir’s stance on police loyalty to democratic government resonates with the 1969 coup that followed; connects to the reader’s study of how democracy gave way to dictatorship in Somalia.